Chapter 13
AN: Thank you for the reviews. He made a bad situation pretty good, didn't he? :)...here comes lucky 13...
As they headed back to the hotel on the crowded tram, they stood, holding a pole in the center, while it cruised down the strip.
Derek asked, "What's the plan for tonight? Another club?"
Penelope glanced over at the handsome, but very tired face of her best friend. Although his tone was energetic, he had darkened circles under his eyes, and he'd stifled three or four yawns since they'd boarded the train.
"Do you want to do a club?" she asked skeptically, raising a brow herself. She didn't think that was possible.
He lost the fight and yawned behind his hand, and then shook his head and grinned sheepishly at her. "Must need oxygen."
She giggled and nodded her agreement. "Mmm hmm. I bet."
"Anyway, it's your vacation, sweets," he said, stretching his arms, and then rolling his shoulders, turning his head side to side. "Whatever suits you, I'll do."
She thought about that for a second and realized just how unfair she had been with her thinking of this. Truly, it was his vacation, too. Last vacation he'd had was going to his mother's about a year and a half ago. He'd planned on going back to Jamaica, but Foyet had come into their lives and shook that up. So, here she'd been, doing everything she'd wanted, without a care for what he'd wanted to do...and he was just as much in need of some relaxation as she was.
"Derek, why don't we head back for tonight, get some sleep, and then you choose what we do tomorrow?"
She watched as he looked more awake at that. "Me? I pick?"
"Yep."
He gave her the wickedest leer. "After tonight, I think we'll start at Cheetah's, and work our way through the seediest strip joints..."
She laughed, and then shrugged. "You made tonight such a pleasure, I'd go up to the stage for you and drag over the perkiest, bustiest, limberest stripper to give you a lap dance."
"Oh, make her a blonde," he said, grinning and picking up a curl off her shoulder, "'Bout this color."
"Big boobs?" she teased.
"Oh, hell, yeah! Using a pole like this," he answered with that same naughty grin, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and stroking the pole between them with his long fingered hand.
It was so over the top, she knew he couldn't be serious.
"Anything else I need to be on the lookout for?" she asked, with barely restrained mirth.
He reached a finger up to her face and tapped her pink frames. "She needs little glasses, too."
"Why?" she asked, peering over at him with some skepticism.
"I like that naughty secretary look."
"Naughty secretary?" she questioned incredulously, before bursting into peals of laughter.
They laughed together, hanging onto the pole, until they reached the stop for the Bellagio. They exited, wiping tears from their eyes.
"Oh, Hot Stuff," she said, looking over into his eyes. "I hate for tonight to end."
"Me, too, baby," he replied, smiling softly and bringing his hand up to brush an errant curl off of her cheek.
Penelope leaned back, realizing she was getting too close again, falling under his spell. She had to walk a very narrow edge with her time, and be cautious. She wanted to have a good time with him, but she'd come a thousand miles to get away from him, too.
Not only that, two truly beautiful women in their lobby were looking over at her like she was the luckiest girl alive. There was no mistaking their animosity towards her. They obviously thought she had him, too.
She hated knowing she could tell them point blank how wrong their thoughts were.
"Well, you should go up to bed, get refreshed, before whatever we do tomorrow," she said, grinning. "Including Cheetah's."
He shook his head. "I don't need Cheetah's, sugar, but I do want to do some good old fashioned Vegas fun, if that's all right with you?"
"Of course. Who knows?" she questioned, gesturing her head towards the two beautiful girls as they walked past them to board the elevators. "Maybe you'll meet one of those cuties tomorrow."
Derek pressed her floor, and then his, before pulling her into his arms.
"Don't need them," he murmured with a smile, before kissing her forehead. "I got all the pretty girl I need right here."
She laid her head on his chest again, fighting back tears as she held him. How she wished he was serious just once when he said things like that!
"Goodnight, Hot Stuff."
She felt the rumble in his chest as he said, "Goodnight, Penelope."
He kissed the top of her head again, before releasing her to exit on his floor.
She sniffled as she rode the elevator up the other two floors to her room. Must've been allergies...
Derek's idea of old fashioned fun in Vegas had a lot to do with what she'd always thought of Sin City. Gambling, gawking, food, drinks, and more gambling.
They started at their hotel at nine AM sharp, and then decided to walk the entire strip. Their first stop was for a collector's glass full of a massive, slushy cocktail. Derek ordered her a crazy, fruity concoction, while he had his regular beer.
She made a slurpy sound and shivered, even in the nearly ninety degree heat.
"Good?" he asked, sipping his beer.
"Good," she responded, taking another sip.
They were stopped by a salesperson, and nearly signed up for a timeshare that offered complimentary tickets to a popular show, but changed their minds when they realized they had no time to vacation most of the time, anyway.
Making it down to the MGM Grand, they looked at the lion habitat.
"They're gorgeous," she breathed, taking a look at a large male with his full mane.
"Like this one," he said, rolling up his sleeve to show her his lion tattoo.
She touched and traced the lion's mane on his arm, feeling his smooth, warm skin under her fingertip. It seemed so vibrant, full of life, both the lion and his skin. "Mmm hmm."
He smiled down at her, before putting his hand on her back to guide her. "Come on, honey. Let's go."
Slowly heading all the way to the Venetian, they stopped to gawk at the artwork. The large frescoes painted on the ceilings were extraordinary and beautiful, even to an untrained eye. There were characters strolling, too, like they were transported in time in Venice. They people watched for awhile, before getting yet another souvenir drink and beer.
"Ooh! A gondola ride!" Pen exclaimed, somewhat tipsy, dragging Derek to the canals.
They waited in line, before boarding the boat with another couple.
"The beautiful signora is enjoying the ride?" the gondolier asked, flirting with Penelope.
"Oh, yes," she commented.
"I sing for you, a song of amore," he said, beginning an Italian song.
The couple with them told them that they were newlyweds, and then completely ignored Pen and Derek, kissing and holding each other romantically while the gondolier sang his song.
Penelope looked at Derek and whispered, "Kind of sweet, isn't it?"
He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Yes, it is."
"Someday, I want that to be me, Derek," she whispered in a hopeful—and slightly envious—tone.
He kissed her temple. "You will, baby. I know it."
By the time they left the Venetian, it was nearly seven PM. They stopped to watch a show with some baudy sirens and pirates in front of Treasure Island that was pretty good for a free show.
"The all pirate show was better," Derek commented to Penelope after the show. "They had that last time I was here."
"Oh, much," some woman with an east coast accent added her two cents. "This thing is boring in comparison."
That brought up a conversation with Phyllis from Long Island for ten minutes in the sun, until Penelope's stomach grumbled loudly.
"You'd better feed your wife, sonny," Phyllis said with a smile. "Can't have her getting hungry in Vegas!"
"That's a good idea," Derek said, not bothering to correct the assumption the woman made. He was just going with the flow.
He couldn't help but notice when he put his hand on Penelope's back, she stiffened and stepped away.
Too soon, he thought sadly.
"Where for food, Morgan?" she asked.
"What sounds good?"
"Not another buffet," she said, laughing. "I'm still a little full from the last one!"
After hitting a Mirage restaurant for a still huge pasta meal, they ended up just chatting and drinking absolutely delicious wines, while they watched and heard the volcano erupting.
When they left the restaurant, it was ten PM. He thought about hitting the clubs, but instead, they decided to hit the slots for awhile...and quickly lost about fifty dollars each.
"Whatever happened to beginner's luck?" Derek grumbled.
Pen shrugged. "Guess it doesn't count with FBI people."
Derek laughed and prepared to sling an arm around her shoulder, and then stopped himself mid-air. This was not going to be easy for him. He loved the look of her beautiful, nearly bare shoulders in the peach sundress she was wearing. In fact, he adored her entire outfit. She didn't look like the travel weary waif she'd been yesterday. Instead, she looked like a woman on the prowl.
He knew he didn't like that last part so much.
As they walked through the lobby of their hotel, chatting away, he noticed two sets of male eyes looking appreciatively at Penelope. A strong dose of jealousy swamped him yet again—a feeling he was getting very used to in Las Vegas. He needed to work out again; otherwise, he was probably going to end up kicking some ass. He hated how quickly he became jealous. It seemed unfair that she was so unmoved.
This time, she yawned. "Oh, my."
"It's nearly two," he said. "You should be tired."
"My plan tomorrow?" she asked. "I don't think you'll want to do it."
"What is it?" he asked, curious...and a touch cautious, if he was being honest with himself.
"A spa day," she replied.
"Sounds great to me. I could use a massage," he said.
"Really?" she asked as they boarded the elevator. She must've noticed his nod, because she grinned at him. "Okay. My spa appointment is at two; should we hit the pool before?"
"Sure thing, sweetheart." He gave her a huge hug, and then kissed her forehead like usual. "Goodnight, Garcia."
She raised on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, and he fought the urge to turn into it, to take her lips with his and never let them go.
"Goodnight, D."
He watched the elevator doors close, and then sighed softly, before he headed to his lonely room.